COLOMBO:  The Sri Lankan Navy on Friday said it arrested 14 Indian fishermen and seized a fishing boat for allegedly poaching in the country's territorial waters.

The Navy arrested the Indian fishermen during a special operation conducted in the sea area south of Mannar on Thursday night.

The seized boat and Indian fishermen were brought to the Talpadu Pier in Mannar and will be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Mannar for onward legal proceedings, the Navy said in a statement.

The Navy continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing boats, taking into account the impact of those practices on the livelihood of local fishermen, the statement said.

Sri Lankan authorities on February 23 arrested 32 Indian fishermen and seized 5 fishing boats for allegedly venturing into the country's territorial waters.

The Navy has so far this year arrested over 140 Indian fishermen for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters.

The Sri Lanka Navy said they arrested over 550 Indian fishermen in 2024.

The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.